Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-24
From Chamber Journal.

what Is cold?" To answer this question We
must nrst explain what Is meant by animal heat
Man Is what is known as q warm-biooded animal;
that is, he possesses the capacity under all cir
cumstances OF maintaining an average uniform
temperature. Whether he live In the frost-bound
Arctic regions, In the burning districts OF Cen.
trail Africa, the heat OF the blood Is the same In
summer and winter alike az he except, perhaps.
certain abnormal states OF the body due 10 the ex-
citation or depression OF the vital processes In va
rlous dseasesl the average temperature OF the hu-
man body Ii 9S.4 degrees Fahrenheit
Now, this Is a remarkable fact as, In view OF the
peculiar source from which animal heat Is derived
namely, from the combustion or used-up tissue
Win the oxygen or inspired air Il stands 10 reason
That the heat or the blood cannot remain constant
Tor nve minutes together, as with every movement
OF our muscles We add Goals to the human FIRE; and
the regulation OF ali our movements, so as 70 pre-
serve uniform temperature, would be an utter
lmposSibility. How, then, Is the object achieved?
Inc supernuous heat Is disposed OF oy conduc-
ZION ana radiation In the capiilliares OF the skin
and by evaporation through the sweat glands ma
air passages, and when there Is no superiuous
heat 70 dispose Of the skin contracts TO prevent
evaporation OF moisture from the surface
Thus when we exert ourselves there Is Increased
waste OF tissue, and accordingly We both pant AID
perspire. When we are cola, on the other ha nd
the skin is very far from beng moist, ana con,
tracts, presenting what is called the .yoose-skn'
appearance Now, these functions are under the
immediate control 81 The nervous system. Cold
acts on the latter IN such a way that The vessels
supplying the skin constructed, and The riow OF
Oiuou 10 lne surface checked, loss OF heat Dy
duction radiation, and evaporation being thus pre-
vented, while heat on The other hand, re axes the
blood vessels and favors the escape OF heat from
the body IL Will thus be seen what an import ant
part the nervous system plays In the maintenance
OF animal heat
Whenever, owing TO any arrangement OF the
nervous system, the perfect maintenance OF
animal heat fails TO be carried out disorder ensues
The miidest form OF which is a catarrh--nalnely
the blocking up OF the skin surface OF the
BODY, with the consequent transference OF the
excIetlol to The mucuos or inner surface The
oeleterious matter which ought TO have been re-
moved Dy the skin irrlttes the blood by its reten-
ton there, and ultimately expends itself by the
nose and throat. For example, II the nervous
sy stem be feeble sweating would probably be IN
duced, and consequent loss OF heat, irrespective
OF the needs or the body in which case a cold
would most probably follow. As a fact, there are
many people With feeble nerves who readily per-
spire in the coolest weather, and are In conse-
Quence liable TO frequently recurring colds.
The nervous origin OF colds also furnishes us
with clew TO It's treatment 10 the early stages.
The whole history OF a cold shows it TO be essen
tally and primarily state OF collapse dena nding
every recourse 70 a stimulating plan OF treatment
There Is no more detected mortal than a patient
In the nrst stage OF cold and both his physical
ana mental condition point TO nervous collapse.
Hence, We believe the great success OF camphor
and ammonia inhalations In the early stage. IL
has also been repeatedly found that Two or three
glasses or VINE have cut a cold short, when taken
al the nrSt appearance OF the symptoms.